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Here is some useful information on the bronchial thermoplasty procedure:

Background:

Life long asthmatic. Treated with Advair 500/50, QVAR, ProAir, Prednisone, Singular and Xolair. Two years of appeals with Health Care Provider - Approved via Medical Board arbitration. This procedure was done at the University of Arizona Medical Center.

Recovery room - no pain post procedure, some rapid movement of pulse Ox - ranged from 96 down to 84. Breathing treatment with O2 helped that. BP lower than before procedure. Good PFT, down about 5%. Total time 4 hours.

Home - Lots of phlegm, small amount of blood, raspy breathing first 6 hours. Evening, fatigue, mild asthma attack addressed with breathing treatment. First night, hard to sleep, medium level asthma attack - again treated with albuteral sulfate, very raspy right side breathing. Morning - another treatment with albuteral, light pain on right chest - sore like I was kicked in the chest. Asthma exacerbated with any movement. Hyper from meds (likely the prednisone). MId day - continued asthma attack, treatable, limiting movement, best in sitting position.

Next procedure is Dec 5, left lower lob followed by the upper lobs in late December.

This one was significantly easier. Same prep process as the first treatment with a 4 day burst of 50 mg of prednisone. THe procedure was the same except the doctor did not do a saline wash of the lungs. We completed the left lower lob with 59 energy activations. I expected issues as I had a tough time on number one. This time, no issues with pulse Ox going up and down post procedure. Ran a slight fever for 12 hours. Hardly any asthma after 24 hours. Now has been 72 hours and I have no asthma at all and actually feel the lungs are taking in more air. Will try to move up my third and final procedure by a week! Things are good.View Thread

The 24 hours after my first treatment were tough. Fever of 100.5 treated. Moderate asthma required four albuterol sulfate treatments. Phlegm but no blood most of the day. Next 24 hours was mild asthma. Some chest pain - likely sore muscles from all the wheezing. Fever down to 99.5. Resting and hydrating. Talking even gets the asthma going.View Thread

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